multicultural

Together We’ll Break These Chains of Love

Together We’ll Break These Chains of Love

Last week I discussed the device of forced seduction as part of the literary legacy of North American captivity narratives on genre Romance. As I’ve noted several times during this series, I think that the genre as it has developed in America, at least (and I would include a good deal of Harlequin’s offerings in(…)

REVIEW:  The Lady Who Broke the Rules by Marguerite Kaye

REVIEW: The Lady Who Broke the Rules by Marguerite Kaye

Dear Ms. Kaye: While I’m afraid I’m getting burned out on traditional European historicals, I’m always looking for novels with a different setting or unusual characters, and this book certainly fit the bill. It’s set in Regency England and is part of Harlequin Historical’s Castonbury Park series; the hero is an American ex-slave and the(…)

REVIEW:  Hero at Large by Robyn Amos

REVIEW: Hero at Large by Robyn Amos

THE AGENT: Tall, dark and devastatingly handsome Keshon Gray THE MISSION: To smoke out a deadly traitor–or die trying THE OBSTACLE: The sweet temptation of the only woman he’d ever loved! Keshon Gray had never regretted anything he’d had to do in the line of duty–until now. For entering the dangerous world of gang warfare(…)

REVIEW:  The Trouble with Valentine’s by Kelly Hunter

REVIEW: The Trouble with Valentine’s by Kelly Hunter

NOTE: Originally released as “Wife for a Week.” “The perfect Valentine’s gift? As far as women’s fashion accessories went, he was spectacular. A black-haired, cobalt-eyed, dangerous- looking toy who no doubt warned you outright not to bother playing with him if you didn’t like his rules. He was like a Hermes handbag; women saw and(…)

REVIEW:  The Fire Horse Girl by Kay Honeyman

REVIEW: The Fire Horse Girl by Kay Honeyman

“Jade Moon is a Fire Horse — the worst sign in the Chinese zodiac for girls, said to make them stubborn, reckless, and far too headstrong. While her family despairs of marrying her off, she dreams of traveling far beyond her tiny village, living out a story as big as her imagination. Then a young(…)

REVIEW:  Back to the Good Fortune Diner by Vicki Essex

REVIEW: Back to the Good Fortune Diner by Vicki Essex

Dear Ms. Essex: I’m always looking for books with unusual settings, and as soon as I saw the cover and title of your book at Harlequin, I put it into my cart. Back to the Good Fortune Diner is aptly named: Tiffany Cheung escaped Everville, New York and her parents’ Chinese restaurant for New York(…)

REVIEW:  Short Soup by Coleen Kwan

REVIEW: Short Soup by Coleen Kwan

“A story about best friends, childhood dreams, and the healing power of Chinese food… Toni Lau and Dion Chan were connected from birth — first via their parents’ jointly-owned restaurant, then via their bone-deep friendship. But children grow up, and Toni leaves their sleepy hometown looking for more than it can offer. Now Toni is(…)

REVIEW:  Second Chance Christmas by Dahlia DeWinters

REVIEW: Second Chance Christmas by Dahlia DeWinters

Dear Ms. DeWinters, I wasn’t exactly sure what I was going to get based on the blurb and excerpt. It sounded like there’s some dark past event that heroine Naomi is trying to face down but you kept it hidden through the into chapter that sets up Naomi and Zach as coworkers at some firm(…)

REVIEW:  Monsoon Wedding Fever by Shoma Narayanan

REVIEW: Monsoon Wedding Fever by Shoma Narayanan

Dear Mrs Narayanan, I’ve been eagerly awaiting the first offerings from Harlequin Indian writers and was psyched when Jane told Sunita and me that she had a copy of your first book “Monsoon Wedding Fever.” But just to support the effort, I bought my own copy when it became available at Harlequin.com last month. Overall,(…)

REVIEW:  The Superheroes Union: Dynama by Ruth Diaz

REVIEW: The Superheroes Union: Dynama by Ruth Diaz

Dear Ms. Diaz, The blurb for this one just sounded like so much fun that I hurried to snatch it up from Netgalley. A superheroine with family issues – namely an ex who had turned evil – and who has to worry about childcare. These are certainly not our grandparents’ comic book heroes anymore! But(…)

REVIEW:  Captive But Forbidden by Lynne Raye Harris

REVIEW: Captive But Forbidden by Lynne Raye Harris

Dear Ms. Harris, In a recent comment thread about reading and writing multicultural characters, you talked about your latest Harlequin Presents release, which features a half-South Asian hero. I was intrigued and interested to read about someone who was neither a Maharajah nor a Bollywood star. My reaction to your story turned out to be(…)

REVIEW:  Bras, Boys and Blunders by Vidya Samson

REVIEW: Bras, Boys and Blunders by Vidya Samson

“What’s a girl gotta do to get her first bra, her first kiss, her first love? If you thought the Middle East was all about fatwas and burkhas, think again. Join the fun as Veena, a naive teen from India, bungles her way through adolescence on the island of Bahrain. Laugh out loud as she(…)

REVIEW:  Hawaiian Gothic by Heidi Belleau,Violetta Vane

REVIEW: Hawaiian Gothic by Heidi Belleau,Violetta Vane

Dear Ms. Belleau and Ms. Vane, I really enjoyed the free short story of yours I read and have been on the lookout for your other work. Hawaiian Gothic sounded like something up my alley, even with a ghost angle: an m/m with multicultural characters set in Hawaii with a mystery twist and a gothic(…)

REVIEW:  The Salt Road by Jane Johnson

REVIEW: The Salt Road by Jane Johnson

“My dear Isabelle, in the attic you will find a box with your name on it.” Isabelle’s estranged archeologist father dies, leaving her a puzzle. In a box she finds some papers and a mysterious African amulet — but their connection to her remains unclear until she embarks on a trip to Morocco to discover(…)

REVIEW:  Indian Maidens Bust Loose by Vidya Samson

REVIEW: Indian Maidens Bust Loose by Vidya Samson

Sunita had already found this book and started reading it before it popped up on my radar after it was posted to our Author Open Thread for June. We had also just had an “If You Like” post hosted by one of our readers, Kim T, about South Asian romances. So the pump was primed,(…)